Potassium Industries
Chemical Process Industries
▪ Introduction – Unit operations and Unit processes
▪ Chlor Alkali Industries – Soda Ash, Caustic Soda, Chlorine
▪ Cement Manufacturing
▪ Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid Manufacturing
▪ Phosphorus Industries – Superphosphate, Phosphoric acid
▪ Nitrogen Industries – Ammonia, Nitric acid, Urea, Ammonium
nitrate
▪ Potassium Industries -
▪ Soap and Detergents
▪ Paper and Pulp Industries
The material covered in this lecture is compiled from
the following textbook/reference.
▪ George T. Austin – Shreve’s Chemical Process Industries, McGraw Hill Book, 5th Edition,
1997
Potassium Industries
Products from potassium industries
1) Potassium chloride
2) Potassium sulfate (K2SO4)
3) Potassium Bisulfate (KHSO4)
4) Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)
5) Potassium Carbonate (K2CO3)
6) Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
Potassium
Sources of raw materials :
1) Deposits of sylvinite ore
2) Brine solution from Searles Lake at Trona
Sylvinite ore – Mixture of sylvite (KCl), halite (NaCl), Langbeinite
(K2SO4.2MgSO4)
1. Mining of Sylvinite ore
2. Treatment of ores to produce KCl
Manufacturing of Potassium Chloride
1. Trona process
2. Production of KCl from Sylvinite
Potassium chloride from Sylvinite
Sodium chloride is less soluble in a hot than in a
cold saturated solution of potassium chloride
Trona process
Composition of brine from Searles Lake at Trona
Upper deposit (%) Lower deposit (%)
KCl 4.85 3.0
NaCl 16.25 16.25
Na2SO4 7.2 6.75
Na2CO3 4.65 6.35
Na2B4O7 1.5 1.77
Na3PO4 0.155
NaBr 0.109
• Potassium chloride
• Borax (Hydrated borate of sodium) Na2B4O7.10H2O
• Soda ash or Sodium crystal or Sodium carbonate(Na2CO3)
Trona process
Concentration and soda-products separation
Potash separation
Borax separation
E – Evaporator, S – Separator, C- Condenser, H – Heater, V.C – Vacuum crystallizer, M.L – Mother liquor
Potash mine and refinery
Mining
and size Flotation
reduction
Size
reduction &
enlargement
Potash mine and refinery
Potash mine @ Saskatchewan,Canada
ORE = Sylvinite (xNaCl.KCl) &
Carnallite (KCl.MgCl2.6H2O)
Potash mine and refinery
1) Mining & size reduction
2) Leaching out carnallite & mud
3) Concentration of KCl in flotation cells
4) Size reduction & size enlargement of KCl pellets
Potassium derivatives
Potassium sulphate
*1) Na2CO3.2Na2SO4 + KCl ------> K2SO4 +NaCl + Na2CO3
2) 2KNO3 + H2SO4 ----> 2HNO3 + K2SO4
3) KCl + H2SO4 ----> HCl + KHSO4
KCl + KHSO4 ----> HCl + K2SO4
Potassium bisulphate
KCl + H2SO4 ----> HCl + KHSO4
Potassium Hydroxide (Caustic potash)
KCl + NaOH ----> KOH + NaCl
Potassium derivatives
Potassium carbonate (pearl ash)
2KOH + CO2 ----> K2CO3 + H2O
Potassium bromide
3Fe + 4Br2 ----> Fe3Br8 (Iron bromide)
Fe3Br8 + 4K2CO3 + 4H2O ----> 8KBr + 2Fe(OH)3 + Fe(OH)2 + 4CO2
Potassium iodide
3Fe + 4I2 ----> Fe3I8
Fe3I8 + 4K2CO3 + 4H2O ----> 8KI + 2Fe(OH)3 + Fe(OH)2 + 4CO2
Potassium derivatives
Potassium nitrate
1) NaNO3 (aq) + KCl (s) ----> KNO3 (aq)+ NaCl (s)
2) 2KCl + 2HNO3 + ½ O2 ----> 2KNO3 + Cl2 + H2O
Potassium permanganate
2MnO2 + 2KOH + O2 ----> 2K2MnO4 + 2H2O
2K2MnO4 + 2H2O ----> 2KMnO4 + 2KOH + H2
Potassium dichromate
4Fe(CrO2)2 + 8K2CO3 + 7O2 ----> 8K2Cr2O7 + 2Fe2O3 + 8 CO2
